BP’s dispersant Corexit is harmful & dangerous: READ THE LABEL

BP says NALCO Corexit 9500 is not harmful. It does not take a rocket scientist to READ the warning label.

Corexit 9500 is a solvent originally developed by Exxon and now manufactured by the Nalco of Naperville, Illinois. Corexit is is four times more toxic than oil (oil is toxic at 11 ppm (parts per million), Corexit 9500 at only 2.61ppm).

In a report written by Anita George-Ares and James R. Clark for Exxon Biomedical Sciences, Inc. titled “Acute Aquatic Toxicity of Three Corexit Products: An Overview” Corexit 9500 was found to be one of the most toxic dispersal agents ever developed. According to the Clark and George-Ares report, Corexit mixed with the higher gulf coast water temperatures becomes even more toxic.

So to perpetuate the lie that NALCO Corexit is safe, NALCO’s PR machine sends out a press release that says the following: (P.S. the bolded sentences are my editorial commentary.)

“One ingredient is used as a wetting agent in dry gelatin, beverage mixtures, and fruit juice drinks.” I would like BP COO Doug Suttles take a cocktail of rum and Corexit.

“A second ingredient is used in a brand-name dry skin cream and also in a body shampoo.” Maybe Tony Hayward can shampoo his hair in Corexit?

“A third ingredient is found in a popular brand of baby bath liquid.”

“A fourth ingredient is found extensively in cosmetics and is also used as a surface-active agent and emulsifier for agents used in food contact.” How about a shrimp barbeque marinated in Corexit for the entire NALCO board?

“A fifth ingredient is used by a major supplier of brand name household cleaning products for ‘soap scum’ removal.” Scum removal? That sounds good for something!!!

“A sixth ingredient is used in hand creams and lotions, odorless paints and stain blockers.”

If NALCO Corexit is non-toxic then why does the warning label have severe warnings?

I wonder if we can get some BP volunteers to serve as lab rats and spray an aerosol cloud of Corexit and have them breathe it in. We can also try asking them to take a bath in Corexit.

It’s amazing how there are still people who act as apologists for BP and NALCO who claim that Corexit 9500’s ingredients are not kept as proprietary secrets. As I said, read the label. In tech-talk, it’s RTFM!!!

Dear BP, you may want to begin to be transparent and truthful to the public. It’s never too late.

FREE SMART PHONE APPS TO HELP DOCUMENT THE DAMAGE OF THE “OIL SPILL”

If you live in the Gulf Coast, please take pictures or videos of the oil slicks. We just wrote some iPhone, Android and Blackberry software that will help you document the damage. It is specially useful if you’re a boat owner or clean-up volunteer to take pictures and video. Please note time and place. Some smart phone cameras’ GPS chip will record location even when there is no cell signal.

Documentation of the damages is going to be critical to the people of the gulf coast. Before and after pictures and videos will be particularly helpful.

The site is an all-volunteer effort and a work-in-progress and we’ll be installing search image capabilities soon. DO NOT SEND US MONEY at the Gulf Coast Spill Coalition! Donate to the Sierra Club, Greenpeace,Mobile Bay Keeper,SaveOurGulf.org or some other reputable charity of your choice. We are archiving all the pictures and video for full public use. We will soon have full search capabilities on all relevant pictures and video care of our friends at EdgeCase.